Police Officer Involved Domestic Violence.
Lighting a candle of remembrance for those who've lost their lives to domestic violence behind the blue wall, for strength and wisdom to those still there, and a non-ending prayer for those who thought they had escaped but can't stop being afraid.

Custom Search

Monday, December 31, 2007

Georgetown Sergeant Jimmy Lewis Fennell Jr. - now eyed in the murder of his ex-girlfriend Stacy Stites - has been fired for refusing to come in to answer questions regarding allegations that he raped a woman he arrested. Meanwhile Rodney Reed sits on deathrow for the crime of killing Stacy.

From previous entry:[TX] Who chopped off the fingernails of Sgt. Fennell's slain fiance'?When Giddings Police Officer Jimmy Fennell's fiance Stacy Stites was found strangled on the side of a dirt road, her fingernails were cut to the quick, roughly and not filed - eliminating any evidence that might have been recovered from beneath them. He failed two lie detector tests when asked if he killed Stacy. Fennell, now a Georgetown Police Sgt. was arrested this past week for the October rape at gunpoint of a domestic violence victim - whose account matches her fingerprints on the back of his patrol car.

Now:Georgetown police sergeant fired after refusing to cooperate with internal investigation into rape charges Austin American-Statesman, TXBy Isadora Vail..."I really was surprised. I fully expected him to come in and give us his side of what happened," [Georgetown Assistant Police Chief Kevin] Stofle said... Fennell was "well aware of the consequences of his actions, and he told us that he was not willing to cooperate or share information with us"... Fennell was with the Georgetown department about nine years. In 1996, he was a Giddings police officer engaged to 19-year-old Stacey Stites, who was strangled and found on the side of a dirt road north of Bastrop. Rodney Reed was sentenced to death in 1998 for killing Stites and is waiting for a ruling on an appeal. His defense attorneys have long held up Fennell as a possible suspect in the killing. Reed's attorney, Bryce Benjet, has said that the rape charge against Fennell, if true, could have a significant impact on Reed's appeal for a new trial. Fennell, 34, was released from the Williamson County Jail on Tuesday after posting $250,000 bail. If convicted, he could get two life sentences in prison.[Full article here]

Sunday, December 30, 2007

...“The judge said: ‘You are guilty. But I’m going to give you an opportunity to prove yourself to me’ ... Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino says the Boston police lieutenant [David Murphy] who is serving 18 months court-ordered probation for punching his girlfriend off a Baltimore barstool is a “coward”... “His wife was sitting alone at first and then he came to join her ... then I just saw him hit his wife with a fist,” a bar manager who was named in the police report told the Herald last night. Murphy “arched his right hand back and punched the white female in the face,” the police report said. “She fell to the ground after falling off the stool at the bar... The white male fled..." - Murphy and the department negotiated his punishment and agreed he would receive a 30-day suspension, but 25 days would not be served if he kept out of trouble for a year... Prosecutors and judges need to put an end to the inside game that favors batterers with badges... Some cases never come to light because fellow officers look the other way. And spouses often refuse to testify, fearing possible physical or economic consequences... Last year, the journal Police Quarterly cited several studies in which 24 percent to 41 percent of male officers and their wives reported some level of physical violence in their relationship. That's roughly three times the national average... Murphy, who earned $169,469 on a base salary of $78,436 last year, has been on paid leave since the April assault...EXCERPTS FROM 2 MAY 2007 ARTICLES:

A veteran Boston police lieutenant [David Murphy] with 21 years on the force was stripped of his gun and badge after being busted in Baltimore for allegedly punching his girlfriend in the face so hard that he knocked her off a bar stool... "A witness states -- "Suddenly the white male arched his right hand and punched the white female in the face. She fell off the stool and fell to the ground. The witness called police and the white male fled"... Murphy was apprehended running from the scene... The alleged victim refused medical attention [for her "busted bottom lip"] and said she did not want to press charges... He was released on $5,000 bond the day of the arrest... the alleged victim defended him. "The police report is wrong. It was all a big misunderstanding"... The arrest in Baltimore is the second time Murphy has been accused of beating the woman. A Weymouth police official who asked not to be named said Monday that police responded to the couple's home on Rosement Road Oct. 28 after Murphy allegedly threw an object at the woman, causing lacerations on her forehead. Murphy was charged with assault and battery... but the charges were dismissed over prosecutors' objections because the victim did not want to pursue charges... Also yesterday, a Boston police 911 operator was arraigned on murder charges after she allegedly stabbed her husband to death in their Mattapan home Saturday...Sources:- BPD veteran accused of slugging girlfriend: Cop arrested after Sox game in Baltimore, Boston Herald, Michele McPhee, May 8, 2007- Boston police officer relieved of duty after alleged assault, Boston Globe, Suzanne Smalley, May 7, 2007

THIS MONTH:

Cop gets light punishment for alleged galpal punchBoston HeraldO'Ryan JohnsonDecember 21, 2007[Excerpts] A veteran BPD lieutenant - busted earlier this year for allegedly punching his girlfriend off a barstool then running from Baltimore cops - will return to work after a five-day suspension, a punishment that outraged battered women's advocates... It was the second time Lt. David Murphy was investigated by the department for domestic violence. The first case was "unsustained" or not proven, police Commissioner Edward Davis said. In the most recent case, the BPD found Murphy in violation of two rules gave him a 30-day suspension, but 25 days of that suspension are "held in abeyance" and will not be served if he keeps out of trouble for a year. Davis said he is disheartened by the finding, but with no witness cooperation, the department had little legal room to maneuver...[Full article here]

BPD: We can’t fire busted copCommissioner says hands are tied in domestic violence caseThe Boston HeraldBy O’Ryan JohnsonDecember 23, 2007 -[Excerpts] Boston police Lt. David Murphy will return to work this week with his gun on his hip, but he will still be on court-ordered probation for punching his girlfriend off a Baltimore barstool and running from cops who chased him down. Baltimore authorities struck down a statement by the Boston Police Department, which earlier this week said the criminal case against Murphy was dropped... A judge issued a “probation before judgment” finding against Murphy in May. The finding ordered him to serve 18 months’ probation and to undergo counseling. “The judge said: ‘You are guilty. But I’m going to give you an opportunity to prove yourself to me,’ ” Burns said. “He was found guilty.” If Murphy stays out of trouble during the probation, he will have no criminal record for the second-degree assault charge... Murphy and the department negotiated his punishment and agreed he would receive a 30-day suspension, but 25 days would not be served if he kept out of trouble for a year... Murphy, who earned $169,469 on a base salary of $78,436 last year, has been on paid leave since the April assault. Davis said department lawyers told him if the BPD fired Murphy, there was a sizable risk they would lose on appeal to the state Civil Service Commission and be forced to pay Murphy thousands in lost pay and overtime... Murphy and his girlfriend, whose name is being withheld by the Herald, were in Baltimore to watch the Red Sox... “His wife was sitting alone at first and then he came to join her ... then I just saw him hit his wife with a fist,” a bar manager who was named in the police report told the Herald last night. Murphy “arched his right hand back and punched the white female in the face,” the police report said. “She fell to the ground after falling off the stool at the bar... The white male fled to Marriott Water Front . . . where he was arrested for the assault.” Boston Police Department’s internal affairs division previously had investigated Murphy, a 21-year veteran of the force, for domestic abuse relating to an alleged assault on a girlfriend in late 2006. That case was unsustained because the alleged victim would not testify at a department hearing, Davis said. The criminal case was dropped for the same reason.[Full article here]Menino: Hub cop who hit his girlfriend a ‘coward’By O’Ryan JohnsonMonday, December 24, 2007[Excerpts] Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino says the Boston police lieutenant who is serving 18 months court-ordered probation for punching his girlfriend off a Baltimore barstool is a “coward.” “(Police Commissioner Edward) Davis has assured the mayor that he will do everything in his power to hold this coward accountable for his actions,” said Menino’s spokeswoman... “Murphy will have a criminal record but not a criminal conviction at the end of his probation term,” said Margaret T. Burns, director of communications with the Baltimore city state’s attorney’s office. “The guilty finding will not stand after his successful completion of the probation”...[Full article here]

Twisted system reinstates Hub copBy Boston Herald editorial staffDecember 26, 2007[Excerpts] Boston Mayor Tom Menino has called the police lieutenant now serving 18 months of probation for hitting his girlfriend a “coward” and is demanding that he be held accountable for his actions. But in the upside-down world of Civil Service, the city will have an awfully hard time doing anything to Lt. David Murphy that comes close to resembling accountability. Yes, it appears Murphy has the law on his side. But we recommend that he hold himself accountable - and spare the city the aggravation and expense by finding another line of work... A Baltimore judge issued a “probation before judgment” finding, ordering Murphy to serve 18 months’ probation and undergo counseling. If he does so successfully he won’t have a conviction on his record...[Full article here]

Twisted system indeedLetters to the EditorBy Richard ZemeitusThursday, December 27, 2007[Excerpts] Not only does he get suspended with pay, he gets to go back to work after serving a mere five days of a whopping 30-day suspension. It’s an insult to law-abiding men and women alike who have to look for protection from abuse from an abuser. The judge in Baltimore said he was guilty and Mayor Tom Menino called him a coward, but the law only applies to those who can’t hide behind a badge and a union.[Full article here]

Batterers with badgesEditorialBoston GlobeDecember 30, 2007[Excerpts] Police officers who physically abuse their spouses or intimate partners too often elude justice. That certainly would apply to Boston Police Lieutenant David Murphy, who returned to work last week after spending eight months on paid administrative leave... The officer's conviction for second-degree assault will be expunged when he fulfills the conditions of his probation. The plea deal was sadly typical of domestic violence cases involving police officers. Prosecutors and judges need to put an end to the inside game that favors batterers with badges. Strong federal laws forbid anyone, including police officers, to own a gun if convicted of a misdemeanor or felony domestic violence offense. But officers routinely avoid such career-ending consequences through favorable plea bargains. Some cases never come to light because fellow officers look the other way. And spouses often refuse to testify, fearing possible physical or economic consequences. Yet police are no strangers to domestic violence, on or off the job. Last year, the journal Police Quarterly cited several studies in which 24 percent to 41 percent of male officers and their wives reported some level of physical violence in their relationship. That's roughly three times the national average. The Murphy case is especially galling because the plea deal appears to handcuff Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis, who would like nothing more than to fire the officer... There is a long history of arbitrators overturning sound terminations or punishments of police officers. But the public wouldn't have objected if Davis rolled the dice... Unlike many major police departments, the Boston police boasts a comprehensive written policy on officer-involved domestic violence... But the Murphy case reveals theholes...[Full article here]

First Madison Police Officer Bernard Durgin was arrested on felony computer crimes in October 2007 - for looking up women on police database computers- including his ex-girlfriends, ex-wife, her family, her current man, his own current girlfriend, and women he wanted to date. Then he was arrested earlier this month for worker's compensation fraud. Now, on the Friday before Christmas, Durgin was arrested a THIRD time for "charges of tampering with a witness and intimidating a witness."

Forsyth sheriff's deputy suspended after arrest: Sergeant charged with simple battery after domestic incidentForsyth County NewsBy Lara MooreNovember 28, 2007..."The law is the law," [Sheriff Ted] Paxton said... The sheriff declined to elaborate on specifics of the incident, other than to say "there was evidence of a physical confrontation and Sgt. Jenkins was the aggressor"... The report does not indicate if Jenkins' wife received medical treatment.[Full article here]

Arrest costs Forsyth County deputy his jobGainesville Times, GABY LARA MOOREDec. 30, 2007A Forsyth County Sheriff's deputy arrested for domestic violence on Thanksgiving Day has lost his job with the department... "It was a result of the internal investigation," [Capt. Frank] Huggins said. "It took several weeks to complete the investigation because we wanted to be fair to everyone"... Jenkins was charged with simple battery under the Family Violence Act, a misdemeanor. The incident involving Jenkins and his wife was reported about 8:45 p.m. Nov. 22 at the family's Banister Park residence... the Jenkins' juvenile child called authorities. Jenkins was held that night at the Forsyth County Detention Center. He was released the following day after posting $2,750 bond. A trial date for Jenkins has not been set... If convicted, Jenkins may not be able to continue his career in law enforcement. Paxton has said that anyone convicted of domestic violence loses the right to carry a firearm. The time for Jenkins to file an appeal to the Forsyth County Civil Service Board remains open, though not for long...[Full article here]

Friday, December 28, 2007

Excerpts from May 2007 news:Spencer and his wife got into an argument very early on the morning of May 26. He then allegedly beat up his wife with two young children in the house.Spencer’s young step-daughter was then told by her mother to go to a neighbor’s house and call 911, but police say Spencer didn’t allow her to leave and assaulted her as well... Police said the woman AND CHILD suffered bruises and cuts...

Former officer gets trial date in assaultDeseret News, UTDec. 22, 2007FARMINGTON — A former Centerville police officer facing criminal charges accusing him of assaulting his then-wife and daughter during a family fight will go on trial next year. John Spencer, 43, made a brief appearance here in 2nd District Court Friday morning... The judge set a trial beginning Feb. 26. Spencer has pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree felony child abuse; domestic violence in the presence of a child and aggravated assault, both third-degree felonies; and interrupting a communications device, a class B misdemeanor...

...Curran, 33, of Mount Carmel, Northumberland County, is being held without bail in that county's prison for the Aug. 24, 2004, shooting death of his wife, Tina...

Former Bernville chief is ruled competent for trialReading EagleBy Mary E. Young12/28/2007[Excerpts] A Northumberland County judge Thursday found that a former Bernville police chief is mentally competent to stand trial for the murder of his estranged wife. Judge Robert B. Sacavage entered the order after two court-appointed experts testified that Richard C. Curran suffers from psychosis and delusions but is able to understand the charges against him and participate in his defense. Curran, 33, of Mount Carmel, Northumberland County, is being held without bail in that county's prison for the Aug. 24, 2004, shooting death of his wife, Tina, outside Shamokin Area Community Hospital in Coal Township. She worked there as a practical nurse. Curran is charged with first-degree murder and related offenses. Police said he shot his wife seven times with his police-issued .40-caliber pistol as the couple argued over child support for their two daughters, then ages 4 and 8...

Shamokin man to stand trial for shooting deathBY RACHEL CARTAThe REPUBLICAN & Heraldrachel_c@newsitem.com12/28/2007[Excerpts] After months of psychiatric evaluation, Richard C. Curran has been declared competent... He had previously been declared incompetent four separate times... Curran is charged by Coal Township police with the shooting death of his wife, Tina S. Curran, on Aug. 24, 2005. She was shot several times with a .40-caliber handgun in the loading dock area of Shamokin Area Community Hospital during a break in her shift. He was arrested later that evening while trying to cross the Canadian border in Niagra Falls, N.Y...

(Walker County 911 Dispatcher Theresa Parker was in the process of leaving LaFayette Police Sgt Sam Parker when she disappeared nine months ago.)

Theresa Parker's Mother Speaks About Daughter's Disappearancenewschannel9.comJohn MadewellDecember 21, 2007Today marks nine months since 911 dispatcher Theresa Parker vanished in Walker County. The GBI, FBI, local officers and dozens of volunteers combed wooded areas, looking for any clues. We interviewed Theresa Parker's two sister's and mother today. All three say Christmas will be very tough because Theresa was the "backbone" of the family who organized gatherings. In fact, all three say they could not find the emotional strength to put up Christmas decorations. Her mother usually puts up her Christmas tree in a corner of her kitchen, but not this year. Throughout the investigation, agents have interviewed Theresa's estranged husband Sam Parker. They've also searched his house and property multiple times. The couple was in the middle of a divorce and we found three calls on Sam for domestic violence. He was fired as a sergeant at the LaFayette police department after explosives were found in his locker. But he has never been charged with anything. Almost two weeks ago, he went on a local access cable show and said he did not hurt his wife. That said, her mother says one thing would greatly comfort her this Christmas. Claire Careathers said, "I'd give anything in the world with Christmas around the corner that he would come forward and let this family know what happened to Theresa." When asked if she thought that would happen, she thought for several seconds, shook her head and said, "No, I don't think he will ever tell." To reiterate, Sam Parker has been called only a person of interest, not a suspect, Kim. Sheriff Steve Wilson says the case is still a very active investigation.

STATE: Motive in fatal shooting unclearLivingston Daily, MIDECEMBER 28, 2007[Excerpts] Her husband just feet away from her inside a pharmacy on Detroit's east side, 47-year-old Rose Cobb - the wife of a city police sergeant - was shot dead Wednesday. Police initially said the motive appeared to be a carjacking. But by Thursday night, officials said they didn't know what prompted the shooting, and no one was in custody. Cobb of Detroit was shot multiple times in the head through a window of the couple's van... Her husband, 37-year-old Sgt. David Cobb, works with the department's Eastern District...

One of the videos mentions that David Cobb was formerly charged with harrassment of and solicitation of sex from a minor, but was cleared, and another of the videos announces that Cobb IS now a person of interest in the murder of his wife Rose, but not a suspect.

Slaying of officer shocks townshipPiscataway man's son is the accusedStar-LedgerBY SULEMAN DIN AND SHARON ADARLOFriday, December 28, 2007A popular Piscataway police officer and community leader was shot and killed early yesterday by his 19-year-old son, who then shot himself to make it look like a home-invasion robbery, Middlesex County authorities said. Jerry Mahoney, 49, who was also vice president of the Piscataway Board of Education, was discovered shortly before 8 a.m., sitting in a living room chair inside his Gib son Street home. The 26-year veteran of the police force had been shot in the face "multiple times" with his own .380-caliber semi-automatic "off-duty" weapon, which was recovered at the scene, Prosecutor Bruce Kaplan said...

Thursday, December 27, 2007

I learned today that Murfreesboro Police Officer Finess Brown is back at work & a quick check shows him back working with his police powers restored and in the news by August 19, 2007. Decommissioned Officer Brown - last he showed up in the news - had been scheduled for General Sessions Court exaclty one month earlier - July 19. Here's excerpts from June 2007 news when he was first charged:

Murfreesboro Police officer charged with assaulting wife By Lisa MarchesoniJune 13, 2007 - 11:52 AMA Murfreesboro Police officer charged with domestic assault lost his police powers Tuesday until the case is handled in court... Sgt Shawn Murphy responded to Brown’s home Sunday afternoon after someone from the home called 911 and hung up. Brown was not at home but his wife reported her husband struck her after an argument about him whipping their son... 'whipping their son for telling her that they went to another woman’s house”... When her husband and son prepared to leave, she tried to get their son back but the doors were locked... the wife accused her husband of spitting in her face eight times but she told him, “That doesn’t bother me anymore” and “I’m done,” Murphy reported. “She advised he then grabbed her by the hair and slung her into the bathroom wall. She stated a struggle ensued and ended up in the bedroom.” When she tried to call 911, she stated Brown grabbed the phone, pulled her hair, punched her face and cheek and threw her into the bedroom wall, the sergeant reported. She suffered swelling and marks on her face...

Truth is, many of the media folk are packing up and going home now. I scour news every night, and where there were hundreds of articles a day on the disappearance of Stacy Peterson, now it is being reduced to a sprinkling. Unless something happens soon, Stacy may be added to approximately 50,000 other active missing person cases that - if they are lucky - for a few years get an annual small article in the local daily paper.Why is there no combination of incriminating circumstance that adds up to hauling Bolingbrook's fallen Police Sgt. Drew Peterson into the jail? That his 3rd wife Kathleen feared him murdering her - and his fourth wife Stacy too - isn't enough, even though one is murdered and the other seems to have vanished.A pastor of a church saying that Stacy admitted to him that she, Stacy, was told by Drew that he HAD killed his wife Kathleen wasn't enough to raise suspicions to a legal level?

A relative with no known motive to lie tries to kill himself after reportedly being commanded by Drew to not tell a soul about the warm-to-the-touch blue container they moved out of the house together?

How many MORE separate-but-connected pieces of incriminating evidence are on Drew's doorstep that we know about? It boggles the mind to imagine there is more that the public hasn't been told. What does it take? How can such a man mock us all this way. And if we as a concerned society are mocked, where does that leave the family and friends of his victims?

But worst of all, a legal system that lets him have CUSTODY of those children when he is almost assuredly the killer of their mothers - is broken. (I am not YET convinced that Stacy's missing mother is not one of Drew's victims as well.) He has sequestered their kids. In my own mother-mind they are hostage now. Stage-prop. We don't have anything in our child protective process that says if you are suspect in multiple murders you need to pass some tests in order for your children to remain in your household? Shouldn't even HE want them living outside the fishbowl-life he is living now? I would. Even if I was innocent, I would want them with a loving relative whose house wasn't surrounded. I would want them to see their mother's people. I'm biting my tongue.Wednesday morning when his next door neighbor's yard was strewn with 5o or so investigative photos taken within a graveyard, and letters were delivered to the mailboxes of a few of his neighbors, Drew put the children in the car and went on vacation? He CAN?

When I was afraid my ex was going to kill me, the one thing I insisted on from my support systems: don't let him have our child if he does. For a mother who fears she may be murdered it's the worst nightmare. In behalf of Stacy and Kathy - who are unable to be here - no one can intervene?Do I need to pull up cases of children who lose their lives in adult murder-suicides? Cops do it too. Why can't Stacy's family see her children? Am I the only one afraid for them? Nobody pictures Drew as capable of killing himself? I see him taking a bullet before he lets anyone haul him into a prison.

Shouldn't we be more worried now about those children than even Stacy at this point?

Shouldn't we? What will the headlines be if anything should happen to them?

Police in suburban Bolingbrook returned to the neighborhood of Drew and Stacy Peterson Wednesday morning. They were responding to a call by a neighbor of the Petersons who found messages about the missing woman [Stacy Peterson] on her home and property... Neighbor Sharon Bychowski discovered dozens of pictures of a cemetery on her front lawn. Drew Peterson -- says he doesn't know anything about the photos. DREW PETERSON PACKED UP HIS RENT-A-CAR TO TAKE HIS KIDS ON VACATION WEDNESDAY... Drew Peterson says he was completely unaware of the latest police activity in his neighborhood... "There were about 50 photos of a cemetery. And inside the cemetery, the photos that were taken were about five by seven in size and had markers on them which looked like it would be from a police investigation. So they were some kind of evidence markers" she said. Bychowski said she also found a Christmas stocking hanging from her mailbox stuffed with a copy of the National Enquirer. Bychowski's husband also opened up the mailbox and found a letter. "He discovered a three-page letter from some person who is trying to support finding Stacy Peterson, that said she is buried in a cemetery and that we should look there"... Bychowski's neighbor also received the same three-page letter... Whether it was a prank or not, Bychowski said it all should be taken very seriously... And in what is believed to be an unrelated incident on Tuesday, Bychowski also found the word "Stacy" and a cross painted on her mailbox. They cleaned that off.[Full article here]

Map Of Cemetery Found In Peterson Neighbor's YardUnclear Whether Display Is Prank Or Legitimate Cluecbs2chicago.comDec 27, 2007A "sick prank" or a possible lead in the disappearance of Bolingbrook mother Stacy Peterson? Sharon Bychowski wasn't sure what to make of the odd display in her front yard Wednesday, including dozens of photographs of gravestones, a map of a cemetery, a Christmas stocking and a hand-scrawled letter that read in part: "Please fully investigate this grave site" and "Find the Truth"... Bychowski called Bolingbrook Police Chief Ray McGury after she and her husband found the assortment of objects Wednesday morning. The objects, some of which were in her mailbox, included copies of a National Enquirer story about the Peterson case with the headline: "Mystery of Cop's Missing Wife - Solved!" McGury said two of the Petersons' neighbors found "non-threatening letters" in their mailboxes Wednesday. McGury said both offered a "possible location" for Stacy Peterson. All of the materials were turned over to State Police. McGury called the letters upsetting, but said they appeared to have been written by "somebody playing a pretty sick prank. Bychowski doesn't know who left the mysterious materials, which included a hand-drawn map of a cemetery and a square within the graveyard, indicating where to search...[Full article here]

Drew Peterson's neighbors get 'creepy' notesChicago TribuneBy Erika SlifeDecember 27, 2007Neighbors of Drew Peterson found chilling notes in their mailboxes Wednesday morning that said his missing wife, Stacy, is in a graveyard. "Creepy. Oh my God, creepy," said Sharon Bychowski, one of the neighbors who got the notes, along with about 50 5-by-7-inch photos of grave sites scattered in her driveway and yard and, hung on her mailbox, a Christmas stocking with a National Enquirer taped to it... Bychowski said authorities were taking the incident seriously, and she declined to elaborate on what the note said. "Everything's a lead until they say it's not," she said, referring to police. On Christmas, Bychowski said, the name "Stacy" was found spray-painted on her mailbox, with the "t" painted as a cross. Bychowski said she and her husband shrugged off the incident, which they figured was meant for Drew Peterson's mailbox, and scrubbed off the graffiti. Then about 2 a.m. Wednesday, she said, they woke up and noticed a cab circling in their cul-de-sac... Then they saw the cab leave, so they went back to bed. They awoke to find the pictures in the yard and the stocking on the mailbox, which was open...[Full article here]

Many questions, few answers in disappearanceABC7Chicago.com, USADecember 24, 2007...Nearly two months after Stacy Peterson was last seen, the investigation into her disappearance and suspicions surrounding her husband, former Bolingbrook police Sgt. Drew Peterson, have produced many intriguing questions. But few answers... And the case has become a media sensation, with news outlets reporting even the smallest development and staking out the once-quiet Bolingbrook neighborhood where Peterson still lives with four of his children, including two from his marriage to Savio. But for all the searches by police and volunteers, all the tidbits of information and speculation, there still have been no charges -- and no indication that they're imminent. Drew Peterson's attorney, Joel Brodsky, even raised the possibility this week that Stacy Peterson's disappearance might never be solved."Not every mystery gets solved," Brodsky said. "This is not TV, it's real life."[Full article here]

A sad day for Stacy's familyJoliet Herald News, IL -By JOE HOSEYDecember 25, 2007Cassandra Cales spent every Christmas with her half-sister, until this one... Halloween passed, then Thanksgiving, and today, Christmas will be celebrated by two families without Stacy Peterson around to enjoy it with them... [The foster mother of Cassandra Cales, Pam] Bosco said Stacy's family has not seen [Stacy's] son, Anthony, or daughter, Lacy, in the nearly two months since their mother went missing. She said their father has stood in the way of a visit with the children. "I think he obviously has his reasons," Bosco said. "He doesn't want to let the children out of his sight"... Bosco had earlier expressed hopes Stacy would be found before Christmas to give her family some closure. It has not happened, and the investigation of her whereabouts remains unresolved. "It won't be a happy day. It's impossible," Bosco said. "We believe Stacy is dead. How can we have a happy day?"[Full article here]

Peterson ex-pal speaksJoliet Herald News, IL -By JOE HOSEYDecember 21, 2007Ric Mims made money selling his story to the National Enquirer. Thursday, he gave it away for free to the grand jury. Mims, the one-time friend of embattled former cop Drew Peterson, made his second appearance before the special grand jury and said he is slated to come back for yet another at the end of next month. "They asked about the week I was there," said Mims, who holed up with Peterson immediately after the retired police sergeant's wife went missing Oct. 28... Following his appearance, Mims said he stood by the recent Enquirer story, saying, "Everything in the Enquirer is true"... Mims said he was questioned during his grand jury appearance about his time with Peterson and how the ex-cop's kids seemed to be while he was around. "They asked a lot about the children," he said, adding that the inquiries were based on "just mostly their demeanor"...[Full article here]

According to Richard Mims he lived at the Peterson home from October 30th to November 3rd as friend and support. He says he was told by Drew that if the police come for Drew, Drew may have to use Mims as a hostage. [There's that H word.] On November 2nd Mims says he was asked to take a trumpet case and bag of clothes to where Peterson's son was staying - another cop's house - but says he found out after he delivered it that the son wasn't staying there at all. He has no idea then what it was he delivered.

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

A Norwich police officer is vowing that he will be "cleared of all charges" against him after being accused of punching two women in the face... "I'm gonna fight this case like a bulldog," Longolucco told Eyewitness News. "Like a bulldog with rabies...How will this case be handled - where an accused, [woman punching] fired officer admits he has strong thoughts of "getting even" with the chief that fired him? Officer Longolucco's case is not technically domestic violence, but there are so many similar elements that I have no second thoughts about including him here. Also, the second officer mentioned here - appearing to be the good guy - Damien Martin, was arrested in January on a domestic.

Longolucco was seeking psychologist's helpNorwich BulletinBy GREG SMITHDec 25, 2007In the wake of a recent assault arrest and dismissal Friday from the Norwich Police Department, Jamie Longolucco sought a psychologist's help for thoughts police said he was having about getting even with Norwich Police Chief Louis Fusaro, the man who fired him... State police arrested an intoxicated Longolucco shortly after 9:45 p.m. Friday, just hours after he was fired. Longolucco had gone to the Jewett City Resident State Troopers Office seeking help for "threatening inferences," against the chief... When asked if he had "homicidal tendencies," police said Longolucco nodded his head in agreement. When asked if he wanted to harm Fusaro, Longolucco "indicated that he wanted to get even" but did not know how... Longolucco told police he had two handguns and a rifle at his Griswold home... "Someone's being punished for their inferences and thoughts," [Public defender Sean] Kelly said. "He went to the P.D. to seek some help." Judge Kevin McMahon reduced bond to $20,000. McMahon ordered Longolucco to stay out of the Norwich Police Department headquarters, to avoid contact with Fusaro and "no drinking -- because that's what's going to get you in trouble." He also ordered psychological counseling... Domenic Rutigliano, Longolucco's father-in-law, questioned why Longolucco, a father of three, was arrested Friday and not hospitalized as requested... Court records show Fusaro's son, State Police Lt. Louis Fusaro Jr., commander of Troop E Barracks in Montville, was one of the troopers contacted after Longolucco's appeared at the resident trooper's office. Louis Fusaro contacted state police Maj. Steven Fields, who in turn contacted Lt. Patrick O'Hara, who supervised the investigation, court documents show...[Full article here]

Fired Norwich Police Officer Had Homicide In Mind, Report SaysLongolucco charged with threatening chief after seeking psychological helpThe DayBy Izaskun E. Larrañeta i.larraneta@theday.com12/25/2007Just hours after he was fired from the Norwich Police Department Friday, Jamie Longolucco attempted to seek psychological help for “homicidal thoughts” he was having against his former boss, Police Chief Louis J. Fusaro... But what he told a Jewett City resident state trooper got him arrested and detained on a half-million dollars' bond... The report redacts the name of the person who took Longolucco to the resident trooper's office, but it notes that the person told police Longolucco said he wanted to get even with Fusaro and that he — the unidentified person — would read about it in the paper... Longolucco was subsequently arrested, charged with threatening and held on $500,000 bond pending his arraignment Dec. 31... After the arraignment, Longolucco's father-in-law, Domenic Rutigliano, said Longolucco went to the trooper's office because he wanted an ambulance to pick him up there instead of at his home, so as not to alarm his children...[Full article here]

Accused Officer Calls Investigation 'Shoddy'Officer Accused Of Punching Women In FaceWFSBDecember 7, 2007A Norwich police officer is vowing that he will be "cleared of all charges" against him after being accused of punching two women in the face... "I'm gonna fight this case like a bulldog," Longolucco told Eyewitness News. "Like a bulldog with rabies... The New London Police Department's investigation is shoddy, and not only shoddy, but could have been done better by a rookie out of the police department... Officer Martin has been psychiatrically evaluated by me for numerous psychiatric problems. He's on numerous medications for psychiatric problems, and has been committed to a detox facility for alcoholism... The truth will come out. The truth will come out, and I will be vindicated, and my name will be cleared"...[Full article here]

Family, friends rally for Norwich police officerNorwich BulletinBy By MICHAEL GANNONDec 09, 2007* ...One woman said she suffered a black eye after Longolucco punched her. Longolucco, who said the women are lying, claimed he was attacked with a knife by one of the women and slapped by the other. Martin told police he had seen Longolucco punch the women and denied seeing Longolucco threatened with a knife... Martin, who has offered a different account of the alleged Nov. 3 incident, was the subject of an internal police investigation earlier this year after his Jan. 1 arrest by state police following a verbal domestic dispute with his wife. Court records show he is in a family relations program.[Full article here]

Police officer accused of domestic batterySpringfield State Journal Register, ILBy JAYETTE BOLINSKIDecember 21, 2007A Springfield police officer is on paid administrative leave after being arrested for domestic battery Thursday morning. Officer Kristoffer D. Rhodes, 30, of Laxford Drive was arrested by Sangamon County sheriff's deputies... Springfield police went to the residence to investigate a report of a domestic disturbance, but after realizing it involved a city officer, they summoned deputies, who ultimately took Rhodes into custody. Rhodes posted $3,000 bond... Springfield police said no one was seriously injured in the altercation. Rhodes will be on leave until the criminal investigation and a probe by the police department's internal affairs section are completed...

..."How can you be rehabilitated if you have not admitted to your wrongs?" Angela Remy asked the board. "There is no doubt in our mind that when he gets out, he's going to be a menace to society. He is going to put fear into countless people"......Richland County Prosecutor James J. Mayer Jr. had opposed Oswalt's release. "He took the life of his former girlfriend by strangling her to death," Mayer wrote. "He intentionally complicated the investigation by disposing of his victim's body in a deserted area in the middle of winter. He was a law-enforcement official when he committed these serious crimes (and) he has never admitted his crimes nor shown any remorse whatsoever"..

State OKs release of former police officer convicted in girlfriend's slayingThe Mansfield News-JournalBy JOEL MORONEYDecember 21, 2007Editor's Note: This is the fourth in a five-part series on the most prominent murder cases in the News Journal's 75-year history. The cases are listed in chronological order. This story was originally published on Jan. 14, 2004.

MANSFIELD -- The Ohio Parole Board on Tuesday unanimously voted to end Charles Oswalt's time in prison for the death of Margie Coffey, saying he has served a significant amount of his sentence and should be released about March 15. Oswalt served almost 16 years of a 10- to 25-year sentence after being convicted of voluntary manslaughter and abuse of a corpse and sent to prison July 1, 1988. He maintains his innocence in the killing. Trial testimony pinned the motive on a paternity suit over a son, Brandon, whom Coffey claimed was fathered by Oswalt... Two tiny carpet fibers found on Margie Coffey's body were the crucial pieces of evidence for the prosecution. "The biggest part of the case was the analysis of the fiber," said Mansfield Crime Lab Director Anthony J. Tambasco. "A heads-up goes to Capt. Joe Daugherty (of the Richland County Sheriff's Department) for preserving and maintaining it or we never would have had the evidence for trial." Richland County Assistant Prosecutor Bambi Couch-Page said conditions of Oswalt's parole will be that he complete re-entry court and does not contact Coffey's family or a Columbus woman who testified at his trial that he confessed to her that he killed Coffey... Coffey's family and Richland County prosecutors were disappointed with the decision. Her brother, Tim Remy, and daughter, Angela Remy, pleaded with the board to keep Oswalt in prison, citing their fear of him and the fact that he has not admitted to the crime. "How can you be rehabilitated if you have not admitted to your wrongs?" Angela Remy asked the board. "There is no doubt in our mind that when he gets out, he's going to be a menace to society. He is going to put fear into countless people." Richland County Prosecutor James J. Mayer Jr. had opposed Oswalt's release. "He took the life of his former girlfriend by strangling her to death," Mayer wrote. "He intentionally complicated the investigation by disposing of his victim's body in a deserted area in the middle of winter. He was a law-enforcement official when he committed these serious crimes (and) he has never admitted his crimes nor shown any remorse whatsoever." While sympathizing with the victim's family, Mansfield police Chief Phil Messer said the justice system has done its job. "Lt. Oswalt has certainly paid for what he has done and at some point, regardless of what status you've held, its time to parole Charles Oswalt," Messer said. "I knew Oswalt. He was my sergeant and then he was my lieutenant"...[Full article here][police officer involved domestic violence law enforcement fatality fatalities murder ohio state prison Margie Coffey]

...Laurie Day told investigators she feared for her life after her husband threw her to the floor, knocking her unconscious in front of the couple’s daughter... Ex-police chief will not face another trialThe StateBy LEE HIGGINS - lhiggins@thestate.comPosted on Sat, Dec. 22, 2007Laurie Day clutched her husband’s hand Friday as he choked up talking about the pain their two children have endured since his 2006 arrest on allegations he assaulted her. Stace Day, who resigned later that year as Lexington’s police chief, was tried three times on charges of criminal domestic violence. Three times there was a hung jury. There won’t be a fourth... “We believe the man is guilty, but we have no indication that the next jury... would be able to decide any better,” [State Attorney General Henry] McMaster said... Lexington County sheriff’s deputies arrested Stace Day in September 2006 at his Coldstream community home after a fight with his wife, authorities say. Laurie Day told investigators she feared for her life after her husband threw her to the floor, knocking her unconscious in front of the couple’s daughter... It was the fourth time deputies had dealt with Day and his wife in a domestic issue, but the first time anyone was charged... Stace Day resigned from his job Oct. 2, 2006, halting a 22-year career in law enforcement. Laurie Day filed for divorce later that month. But the couple reconciled by the holidays, before the first trial began. In court, Laurie Day recanted statements police said she made to them... The couple have been in marriage counseling. They renewed their wedding vows on Valentine’s Day and bought a chocolate Labrador retriever. The family also has been baptized together. Stace Day, who delivers papers for The State newspaper, said he has not decided whether he will return to law enforcement. Laurie Day works at a Columbia credit union... “Our marriage is as strong as it’s ever been,” Stace Day said. “We’ve continued to grow this year, even though we’ve had this shadow over us. I love and adore Laurie. She’s been my rock during this time period”...[Full article here]

Monday, December 24, 2007

...Attorney Bill Ruzzo believes Conahan's decision to allow witnesses to testify about Carli's claims Jeffrey beat and threatened her before her death cost his client a fair trial...Former police officer convicted of killing his wife outlines reasons for his appealThe Citizens VoiceJAMES CONMY12/21/2007The former Dallas Township police officer convicted in October of fatally shooting his wife outlined the reasons behind his appeal Tuesday. An attorney for Jeffrey Dennis argues Luzerne County Judge Michael Conahan erred in several pretrial decisions that warrant a new trial. Jeffrey Dennis was sentenced to life in prison for killing Carli Dennis inside the couple's Wyoming home in February 2006. Attorney Bill Ruzzo believes Conahan's decision to allow witnesses to testify about Carli's claims Jeffrey beat and threatened her before her death cost his client a fair trial. The public defender asks for a transcript of trial testimony to be turned over in the next 14 days so he could reference specific examples. In addition, Conahan's decision to not allow jurors to view a computer re-enactment of how Jeffrey Dennis claimed Carli shot and killed herself was an abuse of discretion, Ruzzo argues.